


Puppy Dog Tails

by Eastofthemoon



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Family Feels, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Humor, LOTS OF PUPPIES, Post-Season/Series 7, Puppies, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-08-25 11:18:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16660123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eastofthemoon/pseuds/Eastofthemoon
Summary: After freeing Earth from Sendak, Keith had knew there was a lot of work to do. However, the last thing Keith expected was his space wolf to have a litter of puppies.





	Puppy Dog Tails

“Coran, do you have a moment?”

Keith fiddled with his sleeve as Coran looked up from a book he was reading. 

“Oh, not particularly,” Coran said as he shut the book. “I was just reading this story Lance insist I read.”

Keith noticed the title of the book, frowned and raised an eyebrow. _“The Wizard of OZ?”_

“Yes, he was reading it to his niece and nephew the other day,” Coran said as he stood up and grasp his chin. “Interesting book. Strangely enough, it reminds me a bit of a classic Altean children’s story, although in that story the hero was put on trial for killing the witch-”

“Coran,” Keith cut in gently as he touched his shoulder. “Sorry, but I need your help.”

Coran frowned as he lowered his hand. “Is something wrong?”

Keith sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. “It’s Kosmo. I’m wondering if he’s sick.”

Coran’s face turned more serious. “Oh dear. Is he not eating?”

“No, the opposite,” Keith said as he tossed up his hands. “He’s hungry all the time, but then all he wants to do is sleep. He hasn’t want to run around for a couple of days now.”

Normally Kosmo was dying to play with Keith. They had often made a game of Keith trying to run from Kosmo while the cosmic wolf would try to catch him.

“I thought he was just not feeling great, but he hasn’t improved,” Keith continued as he rubbed his neck. “Could you take a look at him?”

Coran frowned. “Well, I’m no expert when it comes to animals or cosmic beings for that matter, but let’s take a look.” He quickly picked up a medical kit and followed Keith to his room.

The paladins were each given their own room on the Garrison base. They were free to live and have their own rooms off the base, but for the days they did have to remain on the base it just make more sense to give them a room they could escape to.

In Keith’s case, it was his currently only home since he didn’t have a family waiting for him on Earth and it was the same case for Shiro. Keith unlocked the door and took Coran into his bedroom where Kosmo was still sleeping.

Curled up in the corner, Kosmo had made a nest from various blankets he had stolen. Keith had tried putting the blankets back in the supply closet but exactly ten minutes later, Kosmo would teleport away and reappear carrying them in his mouth. Keith just gave up after the third time of this.

Kosmo cracked open an eye and yawned as Coran kneeled.

“How has his mood been?” he asked as he reached into the kit.

Keith narrowed his eyes in thought. “Not grumpy, he seems more relaxed if anything. That was part of the reason I had left it alone for a couple of days. He didn’t seem uncomfortable.”

“Curious,” Coran said as he brought out a stethoscope. “Let’s take a listen to your heart shall we?” The Altean pressed the diaphragm into Kosmo’s chest.

Coran narrowed his eyes, but then they suddenly widened as he moved the diaphragm to the right. “Oh my,” he whispered.

“Is he okay?” Keith said as he swallowed. Was Kosmo sick? Would they have to operate? Would Kosmo let them or would he just teleport away every time they tried? Would they-

“His heart beat is fine...um very strong,” Coran stated as he removed the tips out of his ears. “Quick question, Kosmo only has one heart, correct?”

Keith blinked as he raised an eyebrow and sat on the floor. “Yeah, as far as I know. Why?”

Coran crossed his arms over his chest. “Well...then I know exactly what’s going on with our furry friend...or perhaps I should say ‘friends’ since it’ll be plural soon.”

“What?” Keith asked.

Coran gave a grin as he slapped Keith’s shoulder. “Congrats, Keith! Your cosmic wolf is pregnant.”

Keith blinked, and then slowly his eyes widened in shock. Stunned, he looked over to Kosmo and all his wolf did in response was happily wag his tail.

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“PREGNANT!” Hunk cried as he jumped from his chair. “So, wait you mean we’re going to have a litter of teleporting space wolf pups running around?”

“Most likely,” Coran stated with his hands tucked behind his back. “From the best I can tell Kosmo will be giving birth in the next few days if all goes well.”

Kosmo yawned as Keith stroked his ears. Once they had realized the situation, Keith had gathered the paladins, Shiro and Matt in his room to tell them the news. He couldn’t blame them for their shocked expressions. Frankly, he was still grasping to process it.

“Wait, wait,” Lance said as he held up his hand, “I’m no science expert, but last I checked Kosmo was a boy. How could he be pregnant?”

Keith cleared his throat. “Well...he’s usually a boy.”

He felt all eyes locked on to him instantly.

“Usually?” Shiro asked with a raised eyebrow.

Keith ran his fingers through Kosmo’s fur. “Mom and I discovered that around every fourth teleport, Kosmo changes into a female wolf until he teleports away again.”

Hunk’s jaw dropped as he slapped his knee. “Why did you never mention this before?”

“I found out after the first year on the space whale,” Keith said with a blush. “I..kind of just forgot.”

“That’s a big thing to forget!”

Pidge opened and then shut her mouth as she grasped her chin. “So..wait? Does Kosmo trade places with a female version of himself to wherever he teleports to? But that wouldn’t explain why he acts the same as a female. Or maybe-”

Lance patted Pidge’s shoulder. “Don’t think about it too hard.”

“I believe the bigger concern is who Kosmo’s ‘partner’ is,” Allura said as she crossed her arms. “I believe there’s an Earth term for it. ‘It takes two to tango’ although I have yet to understand what a ‘tango’ is.”

“That is a good question,” Keith said as he scratched his head. “It’s not like there are any other cosmic wolves on Earth.”

Matt coughed into his hand. “No...but I think I know who the culprit is.”

Pidge raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Who?”

Matt looked to Pidge with a amazed frown like he was baffled he had to say it aloud to her. “Pidge,” he said as he leaned over her chair. “A few weeks ago….at our house.”

Pidge tilted her head, but then choke like a thought struck her as she swallowed. “Oh...oh no.”

“Oh, yeah,” Matt said as he rubbed his eyes.

“Who are you two talking about?” Keith asked in a firm tone.

Matt and Pidge both sighed and said in perfect unison “It was Bae Bae.”

“Bae Bae?” Shiro asked, but then he shut his mouth and went quiet. “Oh...right, I forgot.”

“Forgot, what?” Keith asked as Kosmo licked at his paws.

Pidge gave a sheepish smile. “Did I ever tell you that Mom has a side business as a dog breeder?”

The room went quiet until Keith spoke. “No..no you haven’t.”

“Normally, Bae Bae will ‘mate’ with a neighbour’s dog that Mom is partners with,” Matt said with the same sheepish grin. “And a few weeks ago, when you all came over for dinner, I recall we let Bae Bae and Kosmo play together while we ate...out of our sight.”

Keith narrowed his eyes. He had been concerned about Kosmo and Bae Bae fighting, but they had seemed to just be playing and having fun. Looking back on it, they were probably being a bit too friendly.

“Bae Bae not being fixed is also a big thing to not tell us,” Hunk stated firmly.

Pidge tossed her arms up in the air. “Hey, how was I supposed to know Kosmo changes gender?! I mean what evolutionary purpose does that have? Actually, now that I think about it-”

“Save the theories for later,” Lance stated as he pointed to Kosmo. “Let’s not forget that we currently have a cosmic wolf that’s about to give birth to bunch of wolf pups.” He paused and looked to Coran. “They would be wolf pups, right? Not some kind of other weird animal.”

“I am about 85 percent certain.”

“Why only 85?”

“In anycase,” Shiro said and looked to Keith. “If Kosmo is going to give birth soon, then we need to get ready for it.”

“Yeah,” Keith said softly as he patted Kosmo’s head.

Allura frowned as she leaned forward. “You sound rather relaxed for someone that just discovered their wolf is about to give birth.”

“I’m just relieved he’s not actually sick,” Keith said as Kosmo licked his hand. “Kosmo being pregnant is way less stressful.”

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Keith hated it when he was proven wrong.

He ended up watching Kosmo like a hawk. Keith would worry about leaving him alone too long, but thankfully Pidge and Hunk set up a monitor so they could be alerted the moment he was ready to give birth. Granted, the trickiest part was keeping the fact Kosmos was pregnant secret.

They didn’t know for certain if Kosmo’s pups would gain the ability to teleport, but if they did Keith imagined they were a lot of people who would give anything to abuse that power. Keith refused to let any of Kosmos’s pups be used as someone’s tool or weapon.

Keith was fine informing Sam and Colleen about the situation, especially since Colleen had more experience with this than Keith did. Contracting Krolia about it had been a bit of a challenge since she was on a mission with Kolivan, but he managed.

Krolia had been just as surprised with Keith, but agreed the pups should be kept secret, at least for now.

Then the day came. Kosmo began eating less, made a nest of of his blankets and panted a lot while pacing. He called Colleen and she immediately came over and confirmed these were tell tale signs the pups would be coming soon.

Next came some of the most nerve wrecking hours of Keith’s life.

“Is he going to be okay?” Keith asked as he paced. “Maybe I should get another blanket? Wait, am I supposed to boil water? Maybe I should-”

Colleen gave a laugh as she patted Keith’s shoulder. “You should just as bad as Sam did when Matt and Pidge were born.”

Keith blushed slightly and turned his head ahead. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine, it is rather scary if you’ve never seen it before,” Colleen said as she looked to Kosmo. “We’ll watch him, and if all goes well we won’t have to do much at all. I’m certain Kosmo knows exactly what to do.”

Keith swallowed as he sat on the floor and watched.

Before long, a small pup appeared, then three more and not long after three more pups entered the world. Keith stared in awe as Kosmo licked the whining pups who were curled up against him.

Colleen gave a thoughtful nod as she looked them over, but was careful to not get too close so she wouldn’t upset Kosmo. “They all seem to be breathing and they look healthy as far as I can tell.”

Keith was relieved to hear that as he watch the pups began to suckle for milk. “They’re so tiny.”

Four of them seemed to have the same shade of fur as Kosmo, but the three of them had a more grey colouring in their fur.

“That must be Bae Bae’s doing,” Colleen said with a laugh as she set a fresh bowl of water in front of Kosmo. “I’ll go tell the others while you stay here. Call me if there’s any issue.”

Keith gave a dumbfounded nod as she left the room. He leaned against the wall next to Kosmo and sat in silence. Eventually, Keith reached out and scratched Kosmo’s ears who growled happily in response. 

“Good job, boy,” he said with a small smile. “I’m sure they’re happy to have you for a parent.”

Kosmo gave a yawn before laying his head down and seemed ready for a nap. Keith shut his own eyes, tempted to doze with him.

He wasn’t how long he had his eyes close when he heard a quiet knock. Keith cracked open an eye as Shiro poked his head in.

“Alright if Kosmo has visitors?” he asked.

Keith nodded as he grunted and stood up. “Yeah, he seems content right now. Just don’t make a lot of noise.”

Shiro nodded as he opened the door and the other paladins entered.

Hunk slapped a hand over his mouth to conceal a squeal. “Oooohhh, they’re so cute.”

Pidge narrowed her eyes as she kneeled. “They are as big as the mice.”

“Actually, Platt is slightly bigger,” Allura giggled.

Lance cooed as he hovered over. “Man, my niece and nephew will flip when they see these guys.”

Keith gave a small smile. “When they’re a few weeks old, you can bring them over to if you want.”

Lance grinned. “I will probably take you up on that,” he laughed as he patted Kosmo. “They’ll probably beg their parents if they can take one home with them.”

“That does raise the question,” Allura stated as she frowned. “We’ll have to be careful who we let keep a puppy.”

Keith raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Well, we are going to have to keep that fact they can teleport a secret, but these little guys will need a home,” Shiro said.

“They have a home with me,” Keith said with a shrug.

Hunk scoffed. “Sure, Keith. You’re just going to keep all seven cosmic wolf pups.”

“Yeah, what’s wrong with that?”

The room went quiet as Kosmo gave a yawn.

“You’re joking, right?” Pidge asked as she adjusted her glasses. “Keith, you can’t keep seven wolf pups.”

“Why not? I’ve kept Kosmo and had no issues,” Keith replied.

“You have raised a singular cosmic wolf who you had a chance to train while you lived on a space whale during it’s puppyhood,” Coran voiced. “I believe you will find training seven wolf pups in this environment more of a challenge.”

Keith rolled his eyes. “It’ll be fine. I can handle it.”

“No, you really can’t, man,” Lance voiced. “I remember when my aunt’s cat had kittens and how much destruction they caused when she decided to keep them all.”

Keith scoffed. “You guys are worrying way too much.”

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Keith hated being wrong a second time.

It was easy enough at first. Keith kept them in the one room, and the pups seemed to content to stay in there, even after they had began to eat solid foods. Keith would come in, play with them a bit until Kosmo came to collect them for a nap. It made his place feel a bit more cramp, but it was working.

Then the pups started to teleport.

It had been out of the blue. Keith had been reading on his bed, when suddenly one of the grey pups appeared literally out of thin air and landed on his chest. After getting over the shock, and managed to stop the puppy from licking his face non-stop, Keith carried the puppy back to be with his siblings.

There were no further incidents until two days later when Keith was practicing his fighting stance and nearly tripped when he felt something tugged on his shoes. He glanced down and cringed as he discovered two of the other puppies were growling as they chewed on his shoe laces.

Keith sighed as he yelled for Kosmo who promptly appeared and transported the pups back to their room. However, Keith had a feeling it wasn’t the end of it and he was right.

Before long the pups would appear on the desk, in his closet and even on the counter literally seconds after Keith carried them back to his room. After placing them back in their pen, Keith slumped in his chair and glanced over to Kosmo.

“We can’t keep doing this, can we?” he asked.

Kosmo only replied with a soft growl as he held his head out with a pat.

“Guess, I better ask the others if we could find homes for them,” Keith said. “I’ll call them tomorrow-”

Suddenly, all seven pups appeared and landed on Keith’s lap. He struggled to break free as all seven pups fought to give him a lick on his cheek.

“Now,” Keith called out as he reached for the phone. “I’m calling for them now.”

Kosmo wagged his tail as Keith sighed and hoped the others wouldn’t give their “We told you so,” speeches to him.

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“Alright,” Allura said as she brought out a tablet. “We have seven puppies to find homes for. Who do we have first?”

“Me,” Matt said with a huge grin. “I want a puppy.”

Keith raised his head after setting a fresh bowl of water on the floor. “Why?”

Matt shrugged. “I miss having a dog when I’m in space.” One of the grey coloured pups approached and Matt responded by scratching his ears. “Besides, a dog that can teleport would be useful for rebel work.”

“That is a fair point,” Shiro said from his spot on the floor where he was letting the puppies climb into his lap. “That sound good for you, Keith?”

Keith frowned. He didn’t like the idea of one of Kosmo’s puppies being forced into a fight, but it wasn’t like Kosmo never did it. Besides, he trusted Matt. Knowing him, he do his best to keep the puppy safe as much as he could.

“Okay, that’s fine with me,” Keith replied as he crossed his arms.

“Awesome, thanks,” Matt said as he picked up a grey pup. “I already got a perfect name for this fella. Fido!”

Hunk raised an eyebrow. “Fido?”

“It’s better than what he wanted to originally name Bae Bae,” Pidge said with a smirk as she looked over to Keith. “On that note, Mom and Dad want a dog too.”

“Really?” Lance asked as he raised an eyebrow. “Don’t they have their hands full with Bae Bae?”

“Mom thinks Bae Bae would like to keep one of his pups,” Pidge said with a sheepish grin. “Also...they feel responsible since they didn’t keep a close eye on Bae Bae at the time.”

Keith gave a nod. Colleen and Sam would treat one of the pups well. “That’s okay with me.”

“Good,” Pidge said as she brought out a tablet. “I’ll send a text letting them know they will have Rover II.”

“Okay, ‘Rover’ is just as bad as ‘Fido’,” Lance commented.

“That is currently two pups out of seven,” Allura stated firmly as she marked them off her tablet. “Is there anyone else?”

Lance raised a hand. “My niece and nephew. They’ve been pestering my brother for a dog for years.”

“And has your brother agreed to letting them have a dog?” Shiro asked as one of the pups chewed on his boot laces.

Lance smiled as he tucked his hands behind his head. “They’re wearing him down. I taught them all my tricks.”

“We’ll put them down as a tentative ‘maybe’ then until we know for certain,” Allura said as he wrote it down. “Which leaves us with four pups to find homes for.”

Hunk rubbed his neck. “I could ask Vrepit Sal if he like a mascot for his shop-”

“No,” Keith cut in sharply as Kosmo pawed at his pant leg for a pat. “That guy is way too grumpy for a dog.”

“He’s not that grumpy,” Hunk replied. “He has mellowed out.”

Allura narrowed her eyes. “You say that, but I recall how he was ready to cut off the mice’s tails.”

Pidge cringed. “Yeah, I thought I was seeing a live action version of that old nursery rhyme.”

Hunk held up his hands. “In his defense, they were stealing unpaid food...but that’s a fair point.”

“Then who else can we ask?” Lance asked.

Keith cleared his throat. “I have thought of two other people.”

“Oh?” Shiro asked. “Who?”

“For starters I thought Romelle could use a dog,” Keith replied.

Allura clapped her hands. “Oh, excellent idea! Coran and I have been so busy as of late, I’ve been worrying about her feeling lonely.” 

_No doubt you guys have been trying to figure out where the unconscious Altean we found in that robot came from,_ Keith thought.

Allura gave a bittersweet smile. “The mice spend time with her, but I think her having her own companion would be lovely.”

“Let’s ask her later then,” Keith replied he picked up two of the puppies. 

“Alright, but who is the second person?” Shiro asked.

Keith grinned as he walked over and placed the two puppies into Shiro’s lap. “You and you’re getting two of them.”

Shiro blinked as the puppies began to wag their tails at him.

“Oooh, I approve of this,” Hunk cooed.

“Yeah, agreed,” Lance said with a nod. “Shiro totally needs a dog.”

“Now, wait a second,” Shiro said as he reached out to pat the puppies. “I’m too busy to have a dog-”

“Which is why you need a dog that can go to work with you,” Keith retorted as he patted Kosmo. “We know with the right training, Kosmo can handle the battlefield just fine.”

“And we all know what a big dog lover you are,” Pidge said with a grin as she shook a finger. 

Matt laughed. “I remember how your face would light up upon seeing Bae Bae.”

Shiro blushed as he looked into the excited faces of the puppies. “Okay..but why two?”

“Why not two?” Keith asked. “And, again, as captain of the Atlas having two teleporting dogs around can be handy.”

Shiro chewed his bottom lip as if he was struggling to come up with a reason to refuse, but as soon as the puppies licked his cheeks all hesitation on his face vanished. He laughed as he scooped up the puppies. “Alright, I’ll keep them, but no one gets to complain on what I name them.”

“Hey, I’m sure it’ll be better names than ‘Fido’ and ‘Rover II’,” Lance remakred and wasn’t bothered when Pidge poked his ribs.

Allura’s eyes narrowed as she looked over the list. “That just leaves two puppies Any ideas?”

The room became silent as they all sat in thought.

“All the people I can think of either have allergies or aren’t good with dogs,” Hunk said.

Keith grasped his chin. “Worse case I could just keep one.”

“Let’s save that for a backup plan,” Allura said as she folded her hands. “I’m certain if we ask around someone will be willing to take one.”

Keith didn’t feel convinced, but sighed. “Okay, but keep it on downlow. I don’t want to suddenly find a line of people at my door demanding a puppy.”

“We can manage that,” Shiro said as he stood up with the two puppies in his arms. “Sssoo...should I just take them home now?”

Keith shrugged as he rose and patted the puppies’ head. “Can’t see why not. What are you going to name them?”

Shiro grinned. “The girl Luna and the boy Comet.”

Lance groaned as he rubbed his eyes. “Of course you would go with space themed names.”

“You agreed, no complaining,” Shiro said and laughed as both Luna and Comet began to fight to lick his face. “Hey, there’s enough of me for both of you.”

Keith gave a small smile as he felt Kosmo move next to him for a pat.

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The next day, Allura came to report to Keith that Romelle would be thrilled to have a puppy but she need a few days to have everything she needed to care for one. Keith said that was fine since honestly Matt and the Holts were in the same boat. Sam insisted they were going to need some new chew toys, puppy proof the house and get a new bed for Rover II.

From they way they spoke, they sounded as if they were expecting a new baby. Shiro on the other hand, went to the pet store the same day he brought Luna and Comet heard. From what Pidge told him, she and Matt had to hold him back from buying too many chew toys. 

There was also still the issue of finding a home for the seventh puppy and the confirmation if Lance’s niece and nephew would get one. Thankfully, he got his answer when he found Lance and two gleeful kids at his door.

“We’re here to pick out our puppy!” Sylvio exclaimed as his sister bounced next to him. “Is that okay?”

“Uh, sure,” Keith said as he stepped aside to let the kids run in. “But slow down so you don’t scare them.”

The children instantly slow down to a snail pace, but Keith could tell they were both dying to run. 

Lance chuckled as he shut the door behind him. “Oh man, this has made their year.”

“I’m guessing your brother and sister-in-law agreed to let them have one?” Keith asked as they followed the kids into the other room.

“Yup, but I didn’t want to bring the kids over until we had everything ready for it,” Lance said. “I figure it be torture for them to pick out a puppy and then be forced to leave it behind for a few days.”

Keith gave a soft smile as they entered the room. “That’s fair.”

Kosmo was quietly watching the kids from the corner, but didn’t seem to mind as the children let the puppies climb over them.

“They’re so soft!” Nadia yelled. “I want them all!”

“You can only pick one,” Lance reminded them.

“WE KNOW!” Nadia and Sylvio cried in unison.

Keith crossed his arm as he turned to him. “I will admit, I am surprise your brother and his wife is letting them have a wolf pup. They do realize they can teleport, right?”

Lance cast Keith a side glance, and then placed a hand over his mouth as he whispered. “Yes, and it’s actually what convinced them in the end.”

Keith blinked in confusion. He could understand how Matt, Shiro and the Holts would find teleportation useful, but why Lance’s family? They weren’t scientists and, except for Veronica, none of them were working in the Garrison.

Lance seem to understand the confusion and continued. “They rather like the idea of a wolf that could not only protect the kids, but also take them to safety in case...there’s ever another invasion by the Galra again.”

“Oh,” Keith breathed softly.

That made sense. From what Lance told them, it was pure luck his family hadn’t been captured like Hunk’s family had been during the invasion. Earth was freed, but that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be any future attempts of the Galra trying to invade again. Having a wolf that could whisk the kids away from danger would be appealing to a parent.

“Uncle Lance, we picked one!” Nadia cried and laughed as the grey puppy continued to lick her.

Lance’s frown vanished and was replaced by a bright smile as he kneeled. “Oh, yeah? Which one?”

“This one,” Sylvio stated as he hugged the grey puppy from behind. “He seems to like us.”

Keith gave a soft smile as he reached out to pat the puppy. “This one is full of energy. I keep finding him under my bed while chewing my socks.”

The kids glanced to each other and suddenly burst out laughing.

“Ha ha, he’s totally going to eat Dad’s socks,” Nadia giggled.

 _Guess that’s a selling point,_ Keith thought amused. 

“So, what are you going to call the little guy?” Lance said. “Hero? Prince?”

“BEANS,” the kids cried out in unison.

Lance’s smile disappeared as he tilted his head. “Beans?”

“That’s what he wants to be called,” Sylvio argued as ‘Beans’ licked his cheek. “Ha ha, see he likes it.”

Keith laughed and shrugged. “If that’s what he wants to be called, can’t argue with that.”

Lance frowned and then smiled. “True, and hey I’ll take that over what they named their rabbit.”

“What was that?” Keith asked.

“Fart Master,” Nadia said with a solemn nod. “It was very fitting.”

“It was,” Lance said with a sigh. “And not a flattering thing to shout when you’re searching for him in the backyard.”

Part of Keith wondered how exactly, but decided he was better off not hearing that story.

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The next day, when Keith heard a knocking on his door he had expected to see Romelle coming to get her puppy or possibly Matt. He was rather shocked to see Rizavi and Leifsdottir standing before him.

“Alright, where are they?!” Rizavi declared as she held up a finger.

Keith blinked as he raised an eyebrow. “Where are who?”

“She is referring to the puppies,” Leifsdottir said quietly as she gently pushed down Rizavi’s finger. “Don’t be rude.”

Rizavi sighed and nodded. “Right, okay, sorry, but,” she stared up hopefully at Keith with big eyes. “Can we see them? PLEASE! I have to see them!”

“Uh...okay,” Keith said as he pointed over his shoulder. “In the other room.”

Rizavi gave a squeal as she tugged Leifsdottir forward. “Come on, let’s go!”

“Sorry,” Leifsdottir said as Keith followed behind. “She’s hard to control when she’s excited.”

“I can tell,” Keith said as they entered. “Who told you about the puppies?”

“Lance and Hunk, but don’t worry we know better than to tell anyone else-”

Rizavi’s squeal cut her off as they entered the room. Kosmos and all five puppies glanced to her as she kneeled.

“They are so cute,” Rizavi said as she held her hands to her chest. “Oh man, I would be so tempted to take one home, but I’m allergic.”

Leifsdottir gave a smile as she kneeled and looked them over. “I estimate they are at least 84 percent fur at this point with the large ears being 30 percent.” She looked to Keith. “May I pet one?”

Keith shrugged. “That’s up to Kosmo.”

Leifsdottir looked to the wolf and he gave a nod. Satisfied, Leifsdottir held out a hand to one of the puppies to let them smell her. After a moment, they held out their heads and she began to pat.

“They’re so soft,” Leifsdottir she commented.

“So cute,” Rizavi cooed as she patted one. “Is it okay if we take a photo?”

“Sure, okay,” Keith said as he sat on the floor. “Just as long as you don’t post it online or anything.”

“Will do,” she said as she took out her phone to snap a picture. “Boy, Griffin will be so jealous he didn’t come.”

Keith frowned. “Does he know you two are here?”

“Yes,” Leifsdottir as the puppy climbed into her lap, “but he and Kinkade had already made plans to meet up with their families today.”

Keith nodded. He had barely seen Griffin since they managed to defeat Sendak and it did make sense. They had never been friends and everyone had been busy doing their part in getting Earth back on it’s feet and welcoming the Collision to their planet.

Still, he had been wanting to speak to Griffin for awhile and he had yet to get a chance to do so.

Leifsdottir checked her watched and tapped on Rizavi’s shoulder. “We got to go. I promised my family I would be on time for lunch.”

Rizavi sighed as she gave a puppy one more hug. “Yeah, I got to go too.” 

The girls got up and waved to Keith as they left. “Thanks for the fluff fix,” Rizavi said with a smile. “If we can think of anyone that would be a good fit for the pups, we’ll send them your way.”

“Appreciate it,” Keith said as he watched them go and then sighed as he looked to the clock. “And I better get you pups some food.” He went to the closet and was about to reach for the box of dog treats when suddenly a pup appeared, picked up the box and vanished with it.

Keith blinked and sighed as he shut the door. “Third time this week,” he muttered.

Despite having to clean up biscuit crumbs, the rest of the day went by quietly. Romelle dropped by and picked out her puppy. She smiled brightly as she put a collar with a star dog tag on it.

“I’m going to name her Belle,” she told Keith as she scooped her up.

Keith tilted his head. “Any particular reason why?”

“Pidge showed me an Earth movie that I enjoyed and that was the main character's name,” stated proudly as she let the puppy chew on her sleeve. “It just seems fitting.” She then turned to Kosmo and gave a quick bow. “I promise I’ll take good care of her and she’ll back often for visits.”

Kosmo gave a quiet woof and nodded in approval. Keith went to open the door, only to discover Griffin standing there. The boys blinked at each other and Griffin slowly lowered his hand he was likely about to knock with it.

“Oh..um, hey,” he greeted.

“Hey,” Keith said as he rubbed his neck. “Um...looking for Leifsdottir and Rizavi?”

“No, but I need to ask you something,” Griffin said and then noticed Romelle. “Oh uh…”

“I was just leaving,” Romelle said as she hugged Belle to her chest. “I need to get Belle home and introduce her properly to the mice.” She smiled at Keith before she left and quietly shut the door behind her.

The boys were left in silence and neither of them spoke until one of the puppies suddenly appeared at Griffin’s feet.

“Whoa, hey, little guy,” Griffin greeted warmly as he knelt to stroke his ears. “You’re a friendly one.”

“Most of them are,” Keith said as she stuffed his hands into his pocket. “I think they get that from Bae Bae.”

Griffin nodded and they were in silence again until Griffin cleared his throat.

“Alright, I need to just cut to the chase,” he said as he picked up the puppy. “Do you have any pups left to give away?”

Keith blinked. “Uh..yeah one.” He frowned. “Did you want one?”

Keith wouldn’t object to Griffin having it, but he just didn’t expect it since he never seemed to be an animal person. _Although, despite going to school with him for years, I really don’t know him._

“Naw, not me,” Griffin said as he set the puppy on the ground. “I’m asking for Kinkade.” 

Keith tilted his head. “Kinkade?”

“The guy is a huge dog lover,” Griffin continued as he crossed his arms. “Rizavi showed him the photos she took and while he didn’t say anything we could tell it was instant love. He clearly wants one.”

“Okay,” Keith said as he raised an eyebrow. “So how come he doesn’t come to talk to me himself?”

Griffin shrugged. “He’s not a big talker and we just figured it be easier if I offered to speak on his behalf for him.” He frowned at Keith. “You alright with him having a pup?”

Keith looked over to the puppies. He didn’t know Kinkade that well, but he was a reliable fighter and he seemed to at least have a good head on his shoulders. Hunk always spoke well of him too.

He found himself slowing nodded as he looked back to Griffin. “Yeah, it’s fine with me.”

Griffin smiled as he turned to leave. “I’ll go and let him know-”

“Wait,” Keith said he stepped forward and rubbed his neck. “Griffin, there’s...something I’ve been meaning to say to you for awhile.”

Griffin frowned in confusion as he turned around. “Ah..okay?”

Keith cleared his throat and straightened his posture. “Thanks.”

Griffin raised an eyebrow. “For what? Finding someone that would take a puppy?”

Keith shook his head. “When we returned to Earth, you never question any decision I had, and you even helped Hunk and I track down his family. You could have easily refused to let us go, but you didn’t.” He rubbed his neck. “And, despite our past you never had issues working together with me. So, thanks.”

Griffin blinked and then slowly stepped towards him. “Keith, there’s nothing to thank me for.” Keith opened his mouth, but Griffin raised his hand. “No, really. First of all, I’m not the kind of idiot who puts an old grudge above protecting the planet or just plain doing the right thing. You and the other paladins were the cavalry to get rid of Sendak.”

He then paused and looked towards the wall. “Also...I totally deserved that punch you gave me.”

Keith flinched as his eyes hardened at the memory. “No, you didn’t. I had a lot of things to be angry about back then and I was never great at controlling my temper.”

Griffin sighed. “Yeah, not going to deny you were known as the ‘Emo Kid’ for reasons, but doesn’t change the fact that I was a brat for saying that stuff about your parents.” He shut his eyes. “I knew you didn’t have parents, and I knew better than to say something like but I let my jealousy get the best of me and I hate it.”

Keith’s blinked. “Hold it, you were jealous? Of me?”

Griffin had everything Keith craved for as a kid. He had loving parents, praise non-stop from their teachers and he always clearly knew he where he was meant to belong.”

Griffin choked and stared at Keith as if he just swallowed a lemon. “Of course I was,” he said in stunned tone and began to count on his fingers. “I worked for years to get top marks so I could be accepted into the Garrison like my Grandpa, but all you do is get top marks in a simulator.” 

He placed his hands on his hips. “As a result you not only got accepted but also got attention from Shiro, my long time hero and idol.” Griffin crossed his arms. “Keith, I was hardly the only kid that felt that way. Did you really never clued into that?”

Keith opened and shut his mouth in thought. Looking back, he did hear some kids mutter about him. 

“I probably did,” he muttered, “but I was trying to focus on getting better control over my temper so I just ignored them. It wasn’t exactly the first time I’ve had to hear people talk about me behind my back.” He suddenly felt Kosmo appear next to him and nuzzle into his side.

Keith smiled softly as he reached out to stroke his ears.

Griffin looked thoughtful, but slowly nodded as he ran a hand through his hair. “That’s..fair.” He sighed as he held up his hands. “Looks, how about we agree we had major issues to work through and we both regret on how we handled things.”

Keith gave a bitter laugh. “Yeah, and nothing like fighting aliens in space to make you grow up.”

Griffin scoffed but looked amused. “No, kidding.” He smirked. “Also, not going to lie, but learning you were part alien explained a lot about you.”

Keith laughed and nodded as he hugged Kosmo. “Believe me, it helped me figure out a lot stuff about myself too.”

Griffin smiled and then pointed his thumb over his shoulder. “I need to go, but I’ll tell Kinkade he has dibs on the last puppy.”

“Sure,” Keith said and waved. “See you later.”

Griffin nodded before he left and shut the door. Once he was alone, Keith went to sink in his chair and didn’t object to Kosmo laying his head in Keith’s lap. 

080808080808080808080808080808080808080

Kinkade didn’t say much the next day when he came to get his puppy, but he had a small smile as the puppy licked his cheek.

“He looks like he likes you,” Matt commented as he tossed the chew toy for Fido.

Kinkade nodded as he sat on the floor and set the puppy in his lap. “I’m calling him Lens.”

Keith frowned. “Lens?”

“I like photography,” Kinkade simply stated as he let the puppy nibble on his fingers.

“Ah, okay,” Keith said as he looked around.

Matt, and the Holts had been ready to claim their puppies. Now that all the puppies had home, they decided to celebrate by taking the little balls of fluff to the beach. It was a perfect day for it. Bright and sunny, and just warm enough that Keith had decided to wear sandals for a change. 

Sam and Colleen were currently putting a collar on Rover, while Pidge and Matt were watching Bae Bae play with Fido. Romelle was showing Belle off to Allura, Coran and Hunk, who kept offering homemade dog treats. Lance, Nadia and Sylvio were giggling as Beans came teleporting around them and then roll in the sand. Even Griffin, Rizavi and Leifsdottir had arrived with Kinkade to pick up his puppy and were now splashing each other with water.

Keith felt a wet nose at his hand and smiled at Kosmo. “They’re all going to good homes,” he told and Kosmo seemed to nod in agreement.

Sam grasped his chin as he tossed the ball for Rover to fetch. “I do wonder if any of these puppies have children if they’ll be able to teleport too-”

“Dear, let’s not ponder that right now,” Colleen said as Rover disappeared and reappeared with the ball in his mouth. “Let’s concentrate on making certain they are housetrained.”

Sam blushed slightly as he laughed. “Yes, you’re right sorry.”

“When is Shiro suppose to get here?” Allura asked.

“Soon, he said he had a meeting to finish up first,” Keith said as he leaned against the picnic table.

Hunk glanced to his watch. “Well, it’s getting close to lunchtime. Maybe we should start eating?” He gestured to Keith. “My mom and I made a whole bunch of sandwiches for everyone. Mind bringing that over?”

“Oh, yes and my basket as well,” Coran said as he fiddled with his mustache. “I made a traditional Altean salad for the event.”

“Salad?” Romelle asked as Belle cuddled in her lap. “You mean that clay I saw you mixing earlier?”

“Well, I did have to improvise with Earth ingredients but it should taste the same,” Coran said.

“And what ingredients did you use?” Lance said with a raised eyebrow.

Coran grinned. “Peanut butter, beats and broccoli!”

All the the humans and Romelle grimaced.

“Um..perhaps I should give you some cooking lessons later,” Colleen said gently.

“Yeah, and in the meantime just bring my sandwiches over, Keith,” Hunk instructed.

“Gladly,” Keith muttered as he reached for the basket, however he didn’t watch his foot. A sharp pain struck him as he banged his toe against the table leg.

“Ow,” he yelped as he then placed his foot on the seat to inspect.

“You okay?” Pidge asked as she looked up.

Keith sighed in frustration as Kosmo inspected. “Yeah, I was just stupid and banged my toe.”

Suddenly, all the puppies froze and frantically left their owners to hover around Keith. He felt a dozen eyes upon him and his now very red big toe.

“Uh...it’s fine, guys,” Keith said as he stepped off the bunch. “I know it’s looks bad, but it’ll heal.”

All of the pups’ ears folded back as if they weren’t convinced. Suddenly, they gathered around Keith, and Belle and Beans places their front paws on Keith’s legs as they all began to glow.

Keith paled. “Wait! What are you-”

Suddenly, the scenery around him vanished. Keith felt the similar sensation of teleporting with Kosmo and suddenly felt his body reappear. His butt crashed onto something hard and was barely able to see where he was as the puppies climbed over him.

“Arrg, guys, get off!” Keith cried as he attempted to free himself.

“Keith?” 

Keith froze as he looked up. It then dawned to him that he and the puppies were sitting on a table. The voice had come from Shiro who sat across from him with both Comet and Luna at his side. Iverson sat on the other side along with a few other officers Ketih recognized.

Everyone stared at Keith in utter bewilderment as all the puppies barked proudly and wagged their tails.

“Uh..what are you doing here?” Shiro asked.

Keith blinked and blushed bright red. “Um…”

Iverson raised an eyebrow, piled up his papers and tucked them over his arm. “I’m not going to ask,” he declared. “I believe this meeting is over.”

The other officers nodded in agreement and within minutes left the room, and Keith felt he was going to be forever grateful for that.

“Keith?” Shiro asked again as Luna pressed her nose against Belle’s.

Keith continued to blush. “Uh...I think the puppies were worried that I stubbed my toe.”

Shiro blinked, but then slowly began to smile. “Oh, and they decided to bring you to me?”

“I...guess,” Keith said as he buried his face in his hands.

Shiro covered his mouth with hand as his smile erupted into laughter.

“It’s not funny,” Keith said with a pout.

“Sorry, sorry,” Shiro said as he chuckled. “At least you know you’re well loved.”

Keith sighed as he felt Kosmo appear beside him and Keith turned to look at him. “They get this from you, you know.”

Kosmo gave a quiet wolf before he licked Keith’s cheek in agreement.


End file.
